Solihull frozen lake death: Boy got his leg stuck in ice and others tried to help, friend says

A friend of one of the boys who died after falling through a frozen lake in Solihull has told how events unfolded.

Tommy Barnet, 10, said one of the boys got his feet stuck in the ice before his friends rushed to help him, but they all fell in.

Police confirmed on Monday that three boys aged eight, 10 and 11 died after falling through the ice into Babbs Mill Lake. in Solihull.

A fourth boy, aged six, remains in a critical condition following the incident on Sunday afternoon.

Tommy told Sky News: “They were all playing on the ice, one got his feet stuck in the ice and then … his friends went to save him but they all fell in.

“When it was summer, we used to go to the forest and play hide and seek by the lake. But I wasn’t here yesterday.”

“It’s so sad, I’m angry,” Tommy said as he described how the community was waiting to hear the names of the other boys involved.

“They want them (the police) to release more information about it just to make sure who it is.”

One of the boys who did not survive has been named locally as 10-year-old Jack Johnson, who was described to Sky News as a “hero” for entering the lake to try to save others .

The search continues after unconfirmed reports of up to six children falling, but authorities have warned it is “no longer a search and rescue operation”.

The four children were all in cardiac arrest when rescue teams pulled them out.

They were taken to hospital, but police said three of them “could not be revived”.

Reports from the scene and videos on social media indicate they were playing on the ice and fell, firefighters said.

Search teams were still using boats and wading in the lake on Monday – and police said they would continue until they were “100 per cent sure” there were no more victims.

One of the first officers on the scene entered the lake in uniform and tried to wade through the ice to help the boys, Inspector Richard Harris of West Midlands Police said.

Members of the public also jumped.

Firefighters and specialist water crews arrived at the lake and managed to get the boys out. They were given CPR and taken to the hospital, but all four ended up in critical condition.

Police said it is currently unclear how long they were in the freezing water.

A witness told Sky News he saw firefighters breaking through the ice and a number of people in danger.

The names of the children have not yet been released and police said they were supporting their “absolutely devastated” families.

The boys’ friends at school also receive support.

Boat teams used torches to continue searching the lake overnight.

A police officer involved in the initial search suffered mild hypothermia and was taken to hospital but has now been released.

Superintendent Harris said Monday at noon that they were still trying to piece together exactly what happened, but no one had contacted them to report anyone else missing.

But because of conflicting reports about how many children were on the lake, the search will continue until police are sure no one else got in.

Local MP Saqib Bhatti visited the scene on Monday and praised emergency services for their “heroic” efforts.

“The (search) operation went on all night in these really difficult conditions,” he said, adding that “the whole community will feel the pain of this.”

Police asked people not to speculate or share any video of the incident.

Richard Stanton, area commander for West Midlands Fire Service, urged parents and carers to remind children about the dangers of freezing water.

He said: “Please, adults and children alike, stay away from open water. Under no circumstances should you venture onto the ice, no matter how thick or safe you think the ice may be.”